Downtown Los Angeles's Rialto Theater was designed and built in 1917 by Oliver Perry Dennis,[2] the architect also known for Janes House[3] and the Magic Castle.

[4] Since opening, the building has undergone many alterations, including a significant remodel by William Lee Woollett in 1923,[5] the addition of neon Art Deco marquee around 1930,[6] a conversion to retail sometime after 1988,[7] and a seismic retrofit in the 1990s.

[8] In 1979, Los Angeles's Broadway Theater and Commercial District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with Rialto Theater listed as a contributing property in the district.

[7] The Rialto Theater originally featured a Greek Revival design that included three sets of arched windows and a pediment atop its facade.

[5] Inside, huge columns originally framed the proscenium, the side walls were designed to resemble ancient stonework, and the plaster ceiling beams were painted to resemble wood.